The present invention relates to a battery pack and an electrical apparatus using the battery pack, and more particularly to a battery card and an electrical apparatus using same battery card assembly.
At the present time, all portable electrical apparatus including portable information appliances use internal battery pack for energy source. Battery pack contains several battery cells in series and/or in parallel arrangement, making the desired capacity and voltage to operate the appliance.
Battery cells in battery pack for portable information appliances are of two major categories, i.e., nickel metal hydride (NiMH) and lithium ion (Li-ion), because of their relatively high energy density. Conventional battery cells are configured in cylindrical and/or prismatic structures. Generally speaking, battery pack strictures are determined by battery cell configurations. Battery packs are bulky, heavy, and expensive when multiple battery cells are integrated. FIG. 1 shows an industry standard battery pack for notebook computers. The battery pack 1 consisting of nine cylindrical battery cells delivers 44 Wh (10.8Vxc3x974.05 Ah) with 150(W)xc3x9790(L)xc3x9721(T) mm in size and 490 grams in weight. Such a battery pack 1 is able to operate a Pentium 300 notebook computer for approximately 3 hours (180 minutes).
Lately battery packs are designed as thin and light as possible in an attempt to fit slimmer and more compact appliances. FIG. 2 shows a slim battery pack for notebook computers containing prismatic battery cells. The battery pack 2 containing several prismatic Li-ion battery cells has higher weight and volume energy density. Compared to the battery pack 1 of FIG. 1, the battery pack 2 of FIG. 2 has a reduced dimension in thickness because of using prismatic battery cells, normally less than 10 mm. However, battery run time is compromised because less conducting materials are used in smaller battery cells. Users have found difficulty in maintaining power continuity. With more frequent power shortage, data integrity becomes vulnerable in some worst scenarios. Hence, users must carry more battery packs than they actually need when they travel and worry about losing data when battery power exhausts.
In general, notebook computers incorporate only one battery pack. For heavy users, however, there are notebook computers mounted with two battery packs. They are not considered practical as weight and inconvenience are in concern. Most battery packs are unequivocally designed for one specific appliance, completely neglecting interchangeability between appliances. Users are confined by inflexible battery pack form factor. Appliance manufacturers, as a result, are able to control battery accessory market at hefty prices with limited availability.
Specifically designed battery packs usually present specific safety concerns when inadvertently used outside the manufacturer""s recommended guidelines. Recently, in-seat power supply system on aircraft has drawn public attention because users rarely detect battery health before they charge their battery in flight. Manufacturers have recommended Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to place a moratorium on the use until safety issues can be resolved.
All listed disadvantages are obstacles to popularize portable information appliances. The present invention provides solutions with an entirely shifted paradigm.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a battery power system that provides non-interruptible energy by easy swapping battery packs in user-friendly formats so that the user can change their battery packs without turning off the electrical apparatus when the battery pack runs short of capacity. Therefore, the improved battery power system enables a user to solve the shorter run time dilemma as portability requires battery packs continue to shrink. Instead of adding more power to appliance, the present invention brings a different pattern using battery cards to provide a minimum run time that satisfies general applications whereas the system upholds power continuity.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a safe battery power system, by which issues of public safety can be minimized without adding any inconvenience to mobile users when battery cards are charged on a separate charger outside the appliance or a charger built-in the appliance.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide an improved battery power system, which enables the user to carry no more power than they actually need and no longer worry losing data when battery power exhausts.
The present invention provides a battery card assembly or cartridge which is adapted to be used with an electrical apparatus to be power-supplied by a battery card contained in the battery card assembly. According to the present invention, the electrical apparatus has a casing having a slot for mounting therein the battery card assembly. The battery card assembly includes an assembly body insertable into the slot of the electrical apparatus and having a card slit for replaceably inserting therein the battery card, and a retaining mechanism mounted in the assembly body for keeping the battery card in the card slit for power-supplying the electrical apparatus in a first instance and disengaging the battery card from the card slit out of the assembly body in a second instance.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the battery card assembly further includes a guiding mechanism for guiding the battery card to be inserted into the card slit. Preferably the guiding mechanism includes two opposite guiding side rails mounted in the assembly body.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the battery card assembly further includes a movable door for closing the card slit, and an elastic member for always closing the movable door against the card slit.
Preferably the retaining mechanism includes an actuating button which protrudes beyond the casing in the first instance and generally remains flush with the casing in the second instance.
Certainly, the battery card has two power contacts and the assembly body includes a power receiving medium for being electrically connected to the two power contacts of the battery card for receiving therethrough a power from the battery card. Preferably the power receiving medium includes two conductors for respectively being electrically connected to the two power contacts of the battery card, and the assembly body includes a power cord electrically connected to the two conductors and having a terminal connector.
Preferably the assembly body further includes another card slit for inserting therein another battery card.
Preferably the battery cards are of the same dimension. Alternatively, the battery cards are of different dimensions.
Preferably the card slits are of the same size. Alternatively, the card slits are of different sizes.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the battery card assembly further electrically connects therein a control circuit controlling from which battery card the electrical apparatus should be power-supplied.
Preferably the control circuit includes diode switches, charger/protection circuit, fuel gauge circuit, and LED display circuit.
Preferably the battery card assembly electrically connects therein a capacity detector for detecting how much capacity the battery cards keep.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the battery card assembly further electrically connects therein a power shortage warner which will signal when either one of the battery cards nearly runs short of capacity.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the battery card assembly further includes a display electrically connected to the power shortage warner for showing that the one battery card nearly runs short of capacity.
It is yet an object of the present invention to provide a battery card assembly adapted to be used with an electrical apparatus to be power-supplied by a battery card contained in the battery card assembly. The battery card assembly includes an assembly body electrically connected to the electrical apparatus and having a card slit for replaceably inserting therein the battery card, and a retaining mechanism mounted in the assembly body for keeping the battery card in the card slit for power-supplying the electrical apparatus in a first instance and disengaging the battery card from the card slit out of the assembly body in a second instance.
It is still more an object of the present invention to provide a battery card assembly adapted to be used with an electrical apparatus, in which the electrical apparatus has a casing having a slot for mounting therein the battery card assembly, to be power-supplied by a battery card contained in the battery card assembly. The battery card assembly includes an assembly body insertable into the slot of the electrical apparatus and having a card slit for replaceably inserting therein the battery card.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the battery card preferably has a weight energy density larger than 40 watt-hours/kilograms and a volume energy density larger than 100 watt-hours/liter. More preferably, the battery card has the weight energy density larger than 80 watt-hours/kilograms and the volume energy density larger than 200 watt-hours/liter.
Preferably the battery card has a thickness smaller than 1.5 cm, and more preferably smaller than 1 cm.
It is further another object of the present invention to provide a battery card assembly adapted to be used with an electrical apparatus to be power-supplied by a battery card contained in the battery card assembly. The battery card assembly includes an assembly body electrically connected to the electrical apparatus and having a card slit for replaceably inserting therein the battery card.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an electrical apparatus having a casing having a slot for mounting therein a battery card assembly having an assembly body having a card slit for replaceably inserting therein a battery card for power-supplying the electrical apparatus.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the battery card preferably has a weight energy density larger than 40 watt-hours/kilograms and a volume energy density larger than 100 watt-hours/liter, and more preferably the battery card has weight energy density larger than 80 watt-hours/kilograms and volume energy density larger than 200 watt-hours/liter.
Preferably the battery card has a thickness smaller than 1.5 cm, and more preferably smaller than 1 cm.
Preferably battery card is substantially a parallelepiped having a dimension smaller than 15 cm, and more preferably the dimension is smaller than 10 cm.
It is still further an object of the present invention to provide an electrical apparatus includes a casing having a slot, a battery card assembly slidably insertable into the slot and having an assembly body having a card slit, a battery card replaceably inserted into the card slit for power-supplying the electrical apparatus, having a thickness smaller than 1.5 cm and having a weight energy density larger than 40 watt-hours/kilograms and a volume energy density larger than 100 watt-hours/liter.
Preferably the battery card is substantially a parallelepiped having a thickness smaller than 1 cm.
Preferably the battery card has a weight energy density larger than 80 watt-hours/kilograms and a volume energy density larger than 200 watt-hours/liter.
Preferably the battery card is rechargeable and the electrical apparatus further includes a charger for recharging the battery card.
Preferably the electrical apparatus further includes a power buffer so that the power buffer will assume the work for power-supplying the electrical apparatus when the battery card runs short of capacity.
Preferably the battery card assembly further includes another card slit for replaceably inserting therein another battery card.
Preferably the electrical apparatus electrically connects thereto a power control circuit for controlling from which one of the battery cards the electrical apparatus should be power-supplied.
Preferably the battery card assembly is formed into a cartridge, and the electrical apparatus further includes a display for warning a user that one of the battery cards runs short of capacity.